College football has returned. Finally. The season opens Thursday, Aug. 29 at 6 p.m. with the University of North Carolina traveling to Columbia, S.C. to take on the University of South Carolina Gamecocks.
While it's a good matchup to kick-off the season, it's not the best. Take a look at what I consider the best matchups of the first week of college football.
1. No. 5 Georgia at No. 8 Clemson | Saturday, 8:00 p.m. on ABC
Opening Saturday of the year. Death Valley at night. A top ten matchup. Primetime. Sounds like a dandy to me.
Many experts predict a team playing in this game will end up playing for the national championship at the end of the year, riding on the success of their quarterback play. The University of Georgia is led by senior quarterback Aaron Murray, who passed for 3,893 yards last season. Murray was named the to the preseason first-team All-Southeastern Conference and expectations are high for he and the Bulldogs.
Clemson University, however, is always tough at home. Senior quarterback Tajh Boyd and junior wide receiver Sammy Watkins lead an explosive Clemson offense into the contest, one that will be sure to have a major early impact on the college football world.
2. No. 12 LSU vs. No. 20 TCU (in Dallas) | Saturday at 9:00 p.m. on ESPN
A pair of teams that are not quite at the upper echelon of college football this season will square off at AT&T (formerly Cowboys) Stadium in Dallas. Louisiana State University will return senior quarterback Zach Mettenberger while Texas Christian University junior wide receiver Brandon Carter is a major factor. A neutral site contest between these two is sure to produce some fireworks.
3. Ole Miss at Vanderbilt | Thursday at 9:15 p.m. on ESPN
Vanderbilt University is a team on the rise. The Commodores posted a nine-win season last year under head coach James Franklin and are seeking to push into the upper echelon of the Southeastern Conference. The University of Mississippi finished 7-6 last year, but brought in a top 10 recruiting class. If Vanderbilt wants to be elite this year, they will need to beat Ole Miss at home.
4. No. 1 Alabama vs. Virginia Tech (in Atlanta) | Saturday at 5:30 p.m. on ESPN
The University of Alabama’s push for a third straight national championship begins in the Georgia Dome against a Virginia Tech team that is hungry for a strong season. Senior quarterback AJ McCarron is back for Alabama, who should roll in this one.
Nonetheless, Virginia Tech is no slouch, and Alabama will have to be into the game. This contest is a good appetizer for the showdowns later.
5. No. 19 Boise State at Washington | Saturday at 10:00 p.m. on FOX Sports 1
After Georgia-Clemson is over, this matchup is worth your time. Boise State University is, well, Boise State — always wanting to prove they belong with the big boys of college football. Washington University and senior quarterback Keith Price believe they are Pac-12 conference contenders, which is a tall task considering the conference is home to Stanford University and the University of Oregon.
Washington is re-opening the beautiful Husky Stadium for this game, and it’s sure to be loud. Interestingly enough, these two teams squared off in last year’s Las Vegas Bowl, which Boise State took by a final of 28-26.
One of these teams will make a statement with a win in this early season matchup and will gain sleeper status for the Bowl Championship Series. If you can find FOX Sports 1 on your TV, check it out.
Honorable Mention: Wofford at Baylor | Saturday at 7:30 p.m. on SportSouth
In no way do I think Wofford College at Baylor University is the sixth-best game of the week, but it will be entertaining. Why, you say? Baylor’s defense is notorious for giving up points in bunches. Wofford runs the triple option offense, which is always tough for teams not used to it. This is a matchup of two different styles — grind it out football from Wofford and shootout football from Baylor.
In my opinion, this is the “upset watch” game of the weekend. Baylor is on the cusp of the top 25, but Wofford is more than capable of changing that in a hurry.